Cattle-guard.



UNITED STATES Patented September 15, 19053;.

. PATENT OFFICE.

CATTLE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION 'forming par'. of, Letters Patentivo. 739,165, dated september I5, 1903.

' Application filed May 2,1 903. Serial No. 155,367. (No model.)

V useful improvements in railway cattle-guards,

and the well-known purpose of the same is to guard railway-tracks at a crossing against stock straying onto l[he track and also to serve for a like purpose at other points along a railway-track, as in divisions between fenced land.

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the several'v parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a railway-track and the im-l ployed to indicate corresponding partsin the several views.

The numerals l and 2 designate railwaytrack rails, between which are disposed the main guard-sections embodying the features of the invention, and outside of the rails are similar sections to take up the space between the rails and fence-posts or guard-fences adjacent to the rails. prises a series of longitudinally disposed strips or slats 5 of similar construction and arranged parallel and held in regular spaced relation by transverse blocks 6. The strips, or slats 5 abut against the opposite ends of the transversely-extending space-blocks 6 and also are partially embedded in the latter, and extending longitudinally through the blocks to secure the strips or slats against movement and displacement are bolt-rods 7, as clearly shown by Fig. 2. These bolt-rods are headed at one end and receive nuts on their opposite ends, and by this means they can be detached at any time after a primary assemblage of the several parts to replace a strip Each of the sections comor slat which may become injured or broken without affecting the practical use of the remaining portion of each section, and thereby economiz'e in guard constructions.

Each slat or strip 5 has the lower main `body portion thereof substantially rectangular in cross-sectiomas clearly shown by Fig. 3, and the opposite sides at the upper extremity of the strip are cut away to form a triangular top 8 and produce a sharp edge 9. At regular intervalsY spikes 10 are driven through the body of the strip alternately from opposite sides and at upward reverse angles of inclination, care being taken to have the spikes considerably longer than the maximum width of the portion of the strip through which they are driven and also to have the extremities of the spikes which stand free at opposite sides of the strip come out from the latter at the base of the inclined sides of the triangular top. The free extremities of thespikes are then struck upwardly at an obtuse angle to the mainv body portion thereof held within the strip, so that the pointed ends 1l will be exposed for engagement on opposite sides of the top 8 below the planeof the upper sharpened edge 9 of the said top. The strips or slats 5 will be formed, preferably, of wood and are arranged at such distance apart that the hoof of an vanimal walkingA thereover will bepressed down between the strips or slats and the points of the free or upstruck extremities of the spikes will prick the hoof of the animal in a tender portion thereof and cause the animal to desist from an attempt to walk over the guard-sections. The triangular tops of the several strips also render the foothold ofan animal unstable, and it will be impossible for the latter to cross the guard or even mount the same with all four feet, in view of the fact that as soon as the forefeet engage A'the strips or slats and become prickedby the free extremities of the spikes the animal will back o.

To render it more difficult to mount the guard-sections, the opposite ends of the strips or slats are beveled downwardly and outwardly, as at 12, and the foot of an animal coming in contact therewith will slip 0E, as will be readily understood.

IOC

The improved device is simple and effective in its construction and operation and can be readilyset up in operative position.

Changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of lthe iuvention.

Having thus fully described. the invention, what is claimed as new isl. A cattle-guard comprising a series of slats with upper sharpened edges, and spike extremities disposed on opposite sides of, and at a distance below, the plane of the said edges. 

